Location updates for call routing decisions

Abstract

A server is configured to provide data communications services to a plurality of endpoint devices. Geolocation information identifying a first geographic location of the particular endpoint device is received at the server and from an application running on an endpoint device. A second geographic location for an IP address is compared to the first geographic location. In response to a mismatch between the compared geographic locations, a location database is modified to include an entry specifying that the particular endpoint device is located at the first geographic location. For an outgoing telephone call from the endpoint device, the modified entry is used to select a telephone carrier. The outgoing telephone call is routed using the selected telephone carrier.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus comprising:
 a data-communications server to provide data-communications services to a plurality of endpoint devices and to:
 provide a probabilistic determination associated with a first geographic location indicated for a particular endpoint device from among the plurality of endpoint devices and associated with a second geographic location indicated by an IP address used by the particular endpoint device, the probabilistic determination being indicative of the second geographic location's relevance and being provided in response to the data-communications server receiving geolocation information indicating the first geographic location; 
 update a location database, in response to the probabilistic determination, to reflect that the particular endpoint device is associated with or located at the first geographic location; and 
 route, in response to the location database updated to reflect that the particular endpoint device is associated with or located at the first geographic location, a call involving the particular endpoint device. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data-communications server is to update the location database in response to the probabilistic determination indicating that a registered location for the IP address is not accurate. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data-communications server is to make a routing decision and select a data center including at least one media server. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data-communications server is to effect selection of a media server to complete the call. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including one or more computer processor circuits and memory circuits to be operatively integrated with the data-communications server. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data-communications server is to
 determine that the first geographic location falls outside of a particular radius from the second geographic location. 
 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data-communications server is to
 update in response to a determination that the first geographic location falls outside of a particular region relative to the second geographic location. 
 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data-communications server is to
 provide the probabilistic determination of the second geographic location's relevance based on an assessment or comparison of the first and second geographic locations. 
 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data-communications server is to
 assess or compare the first and second geographic locations, and wherein providing a probabilistic determination of the second geographic location's relevance is based on an assessment or comparison of the first and second geographic locations. 
 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data-communications server is to
 route the call in response to a call received from the particular endpoint device. 
 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including the location database, and wherein the location database is indicate respective registered locations for the plurality of endpoint devices. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data-communications server is to use telephone carriers to establish additional legs for calls being routed from data-communications server. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including a media server through which the data-communications server can route a call received from the particular endpoint device. 
     
     
       14. A method for use with a data-communications server that is configured to provide data-communications services to a plurality of endpoint devices including respective communications circuits, the method comprising:
 providing a probabilistic determination associated with a first geographic location indicated for a particular endpoint device from among the plurality of endpoint devices and associated with a second geographic location indicated by an IP address used by the particular endpoint device, the probabilistic determination being indicative of the second geographic location's relevance and being provided in response to the data-communications server receiving geolocation information indicating the first geographic location; 
 updating a location database, in response to the probabilistic determination, to reflect that the particular endpoint device is associated with or located at the first geographic location; and 
 routing, in response to the location database updated to reflect that the particular endpoint device is associated with or located at the first geographic location, a call involving the particular endpoint device. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising receiving, at the data-communications server and from an application running on the particular endpoint device, geolocation information identifying the first geographic location of the particular endpoint device. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising assessing the first geographic location relative to the second geographic location indicated by the IP address and, in response, providing the probabilistic determination. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising assessing the first geographic location relative to the second geographic location indicated by the IP address and, in response, determining that the first geographic location is within a different country than the second geographic location. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 14 , further including:
 receiving, at the data-communications server, an inbound call to the particular endpoint device; 
 selecting, based upon an indication that specifies that the particular endpoint device is located at the first geographic location, a media server; and 
 routing, based upon the selecting of the media server, the inbound call using the selected media server. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the media server provides media relay functions for the inbound call. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising determining that the first geographic location falls outside of a particular radius from the second geographic location.